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Italy and Canada have raised concerns about the treatment of their citizens who were beaten and robbed by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Details of the Brutal Assault

Three Italians and a Canadian were assaulted in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday in the village of Ein al-Duyuk, near the city of Jericho. They had volunteered to help shield Palestinian residents from escalating violence by settlers.

“At 4.30am on 30 November, a group of ten masked settlers, some armed with military-style rifles, burst into the home where we were sleeping after night-watch,” stated the Canadian volunteer.

All four were hospitalised and one, an male Italian volunteer, was still receiving care in the city of Ramallah on Monday for more serious wounds.

Rising Tensions in Ein al-Duyuk

The pace and intensity of attacks in this area have risen dramatically over the past two months. This coincides with the establishment of a settler outpost in the vicinity and the arrival of young and aggressive settlers.

Activists say that aggressive acts have become an almost daily occurrence. Attacks have included settler mobs breaking into homes, beating villagers, and stealing livestock and property.

Legal Status and Government Reactions

Although all Israeli communities on occupied territory are considered unlawful by the international community, unauthorized outposts are also against Israeli domestic statutes. Ein al-Duyuk is in Area A of the West Bank, a zone meant to be administered of the Palestinian governing body.

The Canadian foreign ministry stated it “utterly rejects the acts of violence committed by radical settlers and is against any measures or talk about absorbing Palestinian land.”

The Italian foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, told reporters: “We have had enough of this hostility. This is not the way for anyone to assert their rights.”

Lack of Intervention and Wider Situation

Residents and advocates report there has been little effective action by security forces to stop the attacks or remove the illegal settlement. Senior figures of the Israeli governing coalition are vocal backers of settlements in the territory.

United Nations data indicates that settlers and Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians, including 233 children, in the West Bank over the past two years.

Voice of the Volunteers

The Canadian volunteer added that, despite the attack, she felt the presence of volunteers in Ein al-Duyuk had been meaningful.

“The residents felt more confident while we were present,” she said. “The children played freely. Families could sleep soundly. That alone made our presence worthwhile.”

A Palestinian activist involved with groups that recruit foreign volunteers said the new outpost has brought in ideologically driven settlers who seem to belong to an organised group.